Typewriting machine



Sept. 15, 1925.. 1,553,750

DE WlTT. N. CONKLIN TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Sept. 29, 1922 t fi T k V f '3 A ffom Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,553,750 PATENT OFFICE.

DE WIT'I N. CONKLIN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

'ryrnwni'rme "MACHINE.

Application filed September 29,1922. Serial No. 591,233.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DE VVITT N. CoNKLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing in East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jerse have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates mainly to typing bills for telephone service, etc, in which operation it is required to type separately the amounts of United States taxes. The invention, however, is useful with modifications for other purposes.

It is desired not only to type the tax items separately, but also to indicate the total of the tax items for a day or other period, and one of the features of the pres ent invention relates to securing such totals. In addition to the numeral keys which are usually provided on a typewriting machine, there is provided av special key to type the number and another special key to type the number These two special keys are used for no other purpose, so that, although they are used for addition, still much of the adding mechanism which is commonly used in combined typewriters and adding machines can be omitted. The special 5 key is connected to operate a register, such as the wellknown Veeder cyclometer, and the special 10 key is connected to operate another such register. Hence track is kept of the number of times each of these special keys is operated during the day. At the conclusion of the day it is only necessary to multiply the number seen in the first register by .05 and the number seen in the second register by .10 and to add the two results together, and this will give the totah tax payment for the day.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the front portion of an Underwood typewriting machine, showing the present improvements applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a perspective view, showing a. portion of the usual mechanism for automatically returning the typewriter-carriage when it reaches a certainpoint in the line of typing.

Figure 3 is a plan of the keyboard of the typewriting machine, showing the special 5 and 10 keys with their connections to the registers.

Figure i is a front elevation, partly in section, showing the special 5 and 10 keys with their connections to the registers.

The typewriting machine comprises the usual keys 11, which depress key-levers 12 to operate bell-cranks 18*to throw typebars 14 up to strike rearwardly against a platen 15, which is mounted upon a car riage 16, the latter traveling upon rails 17, one of which is seen. In addition to the usual numeral keys and the usual alphabet keys, there are provided special keys marked 5 and 10, which are preferablyat the right-hand side of the keyboard. There are mounted upon the machine frame 18 two Veeder cyclometers 19 and 20, each com prising dial-wheels 21 and a crank 23 for operating the wheels and also an arm 22 for returning the wheels to Zero. Registers of this description are commonly manufactured and sold. are operated, respectively, by the special 5 and 10 keys. To enable the 5 key to operate the register 19, there is connected to the key-stem 24 a pendant link 25 to drive down a crank-arm 26 which is mounted upon if a rock-shaft 27. This rock-shaft is journaled in a bracket 28 which is secured to the frame of the typewriting machine, and is yieldingly connected, by means of a sec ond crank-arm 29, a spring 30, and a link 31, tothe operating arm 23 on the register The ends of the spring 30 are connected to pins 32 and 33 on the second crank-arm 29 and on the link 31, respectively. The link 81 preferably has a slotted lower portion 34;, the pin 32 on the arm projecting through the slot, whereby the extent of stretching of the spring is limited. The spring has suficient tension to operate the wheels of the register as required.

The first operation of the 5 key will rock the arm 26 and rock-shaft 27 and the second arm 29 on. the rock-shaft, and. by means of the spring 30 pull down the link 31 which is pivoted to the operating arm 23 on the register 19. The operating arm will thus be rocked donnwardly to move the units wheel of the register in the direction indicated bythe arrow in Figure 1, so

These registers 19 and 20 that the number 1 is brought into view on the units wheel.

It is a well-known fact that a type-bar may be caused to print by a partial depression of a key, by striking the latter a glancing blow. If the train of mechanism from the 5 key to its register formed a. positive connec ion, it would be necessaryto design the parts so that they would advance the units wheela full space upon a full depression of the key only. A partial depression of the key under such conditions would advance the units wheel less than a space. Yielding connections, including the spring 30 are'thereiore provided, so that provision may be made for the dial-wheel to be fullyoperated by the depression of the key the iminimum amount required to cause the type-bar to print. Depression of the key beyond this amount is permitted by the spring without affecting the register, for after the downward movement of the register-operating arm 23 is arrested the further depression of the crank-arn'i 29- merely extends the spring 30. The force of the pull that can be transmitted to the operating arm of the register is thus mechanically limited, and the liability of overthrow or derangement of the counting mechanism is minimized or avoided.

The 10 key is similarly connected by a link 35, an arm 36, rock-shaft 37, second arm 38, spring 39 and link l to the operating arm 23 oil the second register 20, so that, when the special 10 key is depressed, the units dial in. the second register is operated and the figure 1 exhibited.

Both registers, together with their operating mechanism, may be mounted upon the bracket 28, which is secured by screws 4:1 or otherwise to the side wall of the frame 18 of the typewriting machine.

Auton'iatio mechanism is provided for returning the carriage to the right immediately after the or key has been struck to write in the last column on the bill. This mechanism comprises a marginstop 42 which is adjustable along a rackbar 43 and on which is mounted a pivoted arm 44: having a cam surface 45 arranged to be engaged by an arm 46 on the carriage. The arm 46, by its engagement with the cam surface 45, depresses the arm 44, and through a roller 47, mounted thereon, depresses the rack-bar 43 about its pivot 48, thereby swinging the depending arm 49 forward. The arm 49 is effective in its forward swinging movement to actuate connections for closing a clutch (not shown). As the carriage completes its forward movement, an electric circuit is closed to set into operation an electric motor for returning the carriage. The entire carriage-return mechanism is the same as that disclosed in the patent to Hart, No.

1,238,908, to which patent reference may be had for a full carriage, the platen is automatically line spaced by anymechanism suitable for the purpose, such, for example, as that disclosed in the patent to \Valsleben, No. 1,262,60et.

A tabulator-key 50 operates tabulating mechanism in the usual manner to move the carriage quickly to position for causing the types to print in the desired locations.

Variations may be resorted to within the the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine having a letter-feeding carriage, a special key, a numeral type operated thereby, mechanism also operated by said key "for counting the number of times that said key is operated and its numeral printed, and a complement of letter-feeding numeral keys, each controlling an appropriate type, said complement of keys tree of said counting mechanism to be operated independentlythereof, said special key and counting l'iiOClMLHiSIIl being operable indepemilently of said complement of numeral keys.

2. In a typewriting machine having a letter-iecding carriage, differing special keys, a numeral type operated by each key, cyclometer mechanism associated, with said special keys to keep track of the operations o't said specialkeys, a complement of letterfeeding numeral keys, and appropriate types operated by said complement, said complement of keys tree of said cyclometer mechanism to be operated independently thereof, said special keys and cyclometer mechanism being operable independently of said complement of numeral keys.

3. In a typewriting machine having a letter-feeding carriage, dill'ering special keys, a numeral type operatedby each key, cyclometer mechanism connected to said special keys for counting and registering separately the number of timeseach of said special keys has been operated and its nu meral printed, and a complement of letteri eeding numeral keys, each controlling an appropriate type, said complement of keys free 01. said cyclometer mechanism to be operated independently thereof, said special keys and cyclometer mechanism being operated independently of said complement of keys.

i. In a typewriting machine having a letter-feeding carriage, a letter-feeding numeral key, a printing type driven thereby, a register for keeping track of the operations of said key, and yielding connections between the register and said key permitting the register to indexlby a partial depression description of it. During the I latter part of the return movement of the of the key and permitting suificient further depression of said key to print the numeral.

5. In a typewriting machine having a letter-feeding carriage, a letter-feeding nu meral key, a printing type driven thereby, a link depending from said key, a register including an operating arm, a link depending from the operating arm, and yielding connections between the two depending links permitting the register to index by a partial depression of the key and permitting suflicient further depression of said key to print the numeral.

6. In a typewriting machine having a letter-feeding carriage, the combination of a complement of letter-feeding numeral keys, each driving an appropriate type, supernumerary type-driving keys for printing numerals, one of said numerals being of the same denomination as one of said numeral keys of the complement, and the other supernumerary type-driving key for printing a numeral of a different denomination from that printed by said complement of numeral keys, two registers for indexing the numerals printed by the supernumerary keys, and means connecting the registers and supernumerary keys for the latter keys to operate the registers.

7. In a typewriting machine, a register, an arm movable to operate the register, a rock-shaft yieldingly connected to the arm, a crank on the rock-shaft, a number-key which is depressible to write a number, and connections between the number-key and the crank to cause the register to be operated during the depression of the number-key.

8. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register, a rock-shaftoperated by the number-key, a crank-arm on the rock-shaft, and connections between the crank-arm and the register for yieldingly operating the register when the number-key is depressed.

9. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register, and a train of mechanism between the number-key and the register for causing the register to be operated by movement of the number-key, comprising a rockshaft, a crank-arm, a spring, a slotted link and a pin on the crank arm movable along the slot in the link and connected to the link by the spring.

10. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register, an operating arm on the register movable in one direction to operate the register and in the other direction to return to normal position, and a train of mechanism from the number-key to the operating arm comprising an oscillating arm, a pin on the oscillating arm, a slotted link receiving the pin in its slot and connected to the operating arm of the register, and a spring connecting the oscillating arm to the link to move it yieldingly downward when the oscillating arm is depressed, the pin on the oscillating arm being moved into engagement with the end of the slot to positively lift the link and return the operating arm to normal position when the oscillating arm is raised.

11. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register, an operating arm for the register, and connections between the number-key and the operating arm arranged to cause the operating arm to be moved yieldingly in one direction to operate the register when the number-key is depressed and to be moved positively in the other direction to restore the operating arm to normal position when the numberkey is raised.

12. In a typewriting machine, a numberkey, a register for counting the number of times the number-key is operated, and connections between the number-key and the register comprising an operating arm on the register, an oscillatory arm having a pin upon it, a slotted link receiving the pin in its slot and connected to the operating arm of the register at its upper end, and a tension-spring connected to the pin at its lower end and to the link at its upper end, the pin being normally maintained in engagement with the upper end of the slot whereby the spring may be maintained under any desired normal tension and the tension of the spring will be taken up entirely by the link without aifecting the operating arm of the register.

DE VVITT N. CONKLIN. 

